World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
Eagle Forum Correspondent Cathie Adams reporting from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Aug. 29, 2002

On the opening day of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), a.k.a. Earth Summit II in Johannesburg, South Africa, I attended a four-hour-long conference entitled, "Educating for Sustainable Living with the Earth Charter." Steven Rockefeller, head of the Earth Charter Commission, U.S.A, showed up to address the crowd packed into a tent. There are at least three major reasons why every American should take careful notice of this Earth Summit II and the Earth Charter (www.earthcharter.org), a document some portray as a constitution for a New World Order:

It is significant that Steven Rockefeller is the lead crusader for the Earth Charter since his family donated the land on the East River in New York City to establish the United Nations' (UN) global headquarters.

It is also noteworthy that the Earth Charter evolves around "sustainable development," a phrase that is nearly impossible to grasp, but is essentially a new way to advocate Marxism, which suckers the simple-minded into thinking that absolute social and economic equity is possible. History has shown, of course, that it is the most cruel form of government led by an unaccountable ruling elite.

And because the Earth Charter is to be implemented through schools and religious institutions, it is imperative that spiritual leaders, parents, educators and elected officials be made aware of it.

Creation of an Earth Charter is not a new idea. In 1987, the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development issued a call for the creation of a new charter that would set forth fundamental principles for an all-inclusive idea called "sustainable development," essentially a call for using the environment to control every aspect of every person's life everywhere. And then in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was created with the express purpose of using the environment to redistribute the world's wealth.

Following the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Earth Charter movement was taken up by Maurice Strong, head of the Earth Summit I, and Mikhail Gorbachev, former dictator of the U.S.S.R., with Steven Rockefeller the driving force behind their efforts.

Strong desperately wanted the world to adopt the Earth Charter during the 1992 Earth Summit as a powerful guide for "sustainable development," but was forced to admit that the world was not ready for it then. He now believes it is ready.

The Earth Charter not only deals with social and economic issues, it is a spiritual document, and the spiritual emphasis is not the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible. The first speaker at Monday's forum in Johannesburg was Eiichi Yamashita, Vice Minister for Environment in Japan, who proclaimed, "Education is key to resuscitate the Earth," adding, "I am praying for steady and strong improvements." A typical comment from one who embraces an Eastern, Earth-based religion, Yamashita set the tone for the lead crusader of the Earth Charter, Steven Rockefeller.

As the second presenter, Rockefeller explained that the Earth Charter incorporates the "wisdom of the world's religions." Claiming that we "must respect other persons and other life forms while putting special emphasis on peace, thus building peace on earth," Rockefeller said this inclusive, integrated and spiritual approach [the Earth Charter] will be presented during the WSSD meeting in an "Ark of Hope" reminiscent of the biblical Ark of the Covenant complete with carrying rods.

In the U.S., Rockefeller says the Earth Charter has been endorsed at local and grassroots levels, which may be "different from what you hear from the current administration [in the White House]."

Razeena Wagiet, Environmental Adviser to National Minister of Education in the Republic of South Africa, told the gathering that "Steven Rockefeller has given us a firm foundation" from which to build upon "sustainable development," adding that "this focus for development of South Africa began at the Millennium Summit [the 2000 UN confab in New York City that brought together the largest gathering of heads of state ever in the history of the world]."

According to astrologers, Wagiet said that the world is about to enter a "Golden Age, a New Age, an Age of Aquarius" rather than a crisis as warned during the Y2K forecasts. A woman identifying herself as a Buddhist said she felt the "vibrations at this beginning of the Aquarian Age." Before Wagiet could respond to a question about the "population bomb that could extinguish the Age of Aquarius," a woman singling herself out as a Quaker interrupted telling the questioner that he should be ashamed of overlooking the greater problem which is that Americans "are consuming 200% more resources than the poor," implying that the U.S. standard of living is most detrimental to the Earth.

Andras Szollosi-Nagy, Deputy Assistant Director General of UNESCO, told the audience that while the "Earth Charter is a set of new commandments, the original ten are still alright." He announced that sixteen volumes are being written on "sustainable development;" the first six are to be presented next week, adding that the three pillars of "sustainable development" are economic, social and environmental placed on the foundation of "ethics."

In typical New Age, Age of Aquarius form, one spokesman asked participants to close their eyes and visualize "sustainable development," concluding that each person probably had a different view, thus making it necessary to have the volumes attempting to remedy its fuzzy definition. Nonetheless, a French student attending the event proclaimed, "We have put 'sustainable development' education on the table, and we will fight for it." The Bahai cult, always represented at UN meetings, concluded, "The speakers were all inspiring. The world needs to come together for 'sustainable development' and the Earth Charter does it."

Outlining how the Earth Charter is to be integrated into lifelong education for all, Hans van Ginkel, Chairman of the International Association of Universities (the UN University in Costa Rica) said that, "We must mobilize all in education about sustainability; that's how we meet the next generation." He said that 16 million teachers must be trained and that "the only way to move forward is by integrating the Earth Charter into curriculum and to link all universities based on regional bases of excellence."

The UN scheme to disseminate the Earth Charter globally in schools and in religious communities should alert spiritual leaders, elected officials, parents and educators to its expansive and sovereignty destroying agenda.

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